I wrote this post two years ago, but our family still is extremely grateful to Hampton Inn for how they cared for us during a sad and difficult time. They went above and beyond to see that we were welcome and comfortable during our many visits. ~Adina, Co-founder

I've wanted to write this post for a while because I remain grateful to the Hampton Inn for all they did for my family. Last week marked six months since we said goodbye to my dad. While we never would have chosen for him to leave us at such a young age, we are thankful that we had many months where we could spend quality time with him. The Hampton Inn made being with my dad very easy for us.

My dad's cancer diagnosis was confirmed in July 2013. We live over three hours away (when traffic is flowing), and we wanted to see him as much as possible. We knew we were welcome to stay with family, but we wanted to stay close to their house and we wanted to come frequently without disturbing everyone's routine. I adore my children and they wanted to visit their grandfather, but adding three children to a household where rest and down time are needed did not seem like a good solution.

My parent's house is in a rural area, but there happens to be a Hampton Inn just ten minutes away. During my first trip to visit my dad after his diagnosis, we decided to stay at the hotel. We didn't think we could do it for every trip, but it seemed like the perfect solution. Little did I know how perfect it would be.

The kids loved their time with my dad, but when he needed rest, we could go back to the hotel and swim. I didn't need to worry about breakfast for them because a tasty complimentary breakfast is served each morning. Also, we are tea drinkers, so the kids made a comforting herbal tea for themselves each afternoon.

After that first visit, as we were checking out, I told the kind woman at the reception desk why we were visiting. She was sympathetic to our situation. She quickly offered me a very fair rate if we wanted to come back for additional visits. We were still paying to stay there, but the rate was extremely reasonable and would not fluctuate.

Offering us an excellent rate was just the beginning of care that we received from the Hampton Inn and their staff. We began to visit regularly. They took time to learn our names and they recognized us when we arrived.

The housekeeper, Wanda, would put my daughter's special teddy bear and blanket right in the middle of the bed so it was waiting for her when we returned. Many times we found treats and balloons in our room upon our arrival along with handwritten notes from the Hotel Manager, Gretchen.

The Hampton Inn is near a friend's fishing pond, so it was easy for my dad to meet us to go fishing early on after his diagnosis. I was able to have my family over for dinner at the hotel because they allowed us to use the dining room to bring in Italian carry out. I still remember where my dad sat for that dinner. We connected with cousins and had snowballs with my dad at a nearby retired railroad.

All of these gestures helped me and my children during a difficult time. The staff saved my family a room in the middle of the night when we rushed up the road in November to be with my dad on his final day. They cried with me. When we returned for the funeral weekend, we opened the door to a huge suite. They upgraded our room to give us plenty of space during the hardest weekend of my life.

The staff of the Hampton Inn helped us in every possible way during a bittersweet time for our family. We are grateful for the care we received and memories we will have forever.